A Quiet Passion

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Draco R Apr 1, 2019 Really unwatchable. I got no sense of the life force that must have animated her poetry, it just all seemed depressing. I canâ(TM)t believe this was an accurate portrayal of the poetâ(TM)s life. Iâ(TM)m guessing the director was having some kind of crisis personally? See more

Kylo S Oct 2, 2018 The first thing I noticed about this biopic of Emily Dickinson by director Terence Davies is the remarkable use of light (kudos to cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister). The 19th century sets are lit as if by candle or firelight or with natural light streaming in from the windows. The sets and costumes certainly evoke the time and place - as do the hairstyles (Keith Carradine is nearly unrecognisable in his beard and sideburns). The plot starts with young Emily's non-traditional home life, supported by parents who allow her to resist Christian evangelizing and to voice her own thoughts alongside a sister, Vinnie, and a brother, Austin, raised similarly. Emily begins writing poetry and even has a poem published, anonymously. Then, with a spooky use of morphing to age the characters in the onscreen daguerreotypes, we see the children as young adults, moving into relationships and careers. Emily is now played by Cynthia Nixon (yes, she who just ran for New York State governor in the recent primary). Supported by her friend, Vryling Buffam, Emily continues to speak truth to power and to advocate proto-feminist views. However, she eventually becomes embittered and melancholy, a reclusive eccentric dressed all in white, spurning potential suitors even as she seems lonely. The success she seeks through her poetry does not materialise. On the soundtrack, we hear her poems in voiceover ("Because I could not stop for Death" is the one that stands out as familiar to me, but my relationship to poetry is now a distant one, although it is refreshing to take the time to drink deep of words, even ironically through film). Ultimately, then, the trajectory for Emily and the film is painfully downward, observed by Terence Davies quietly but with passion. Looking at his filmography shows that I seem to have missed several recent Davies films -- but I highly recommend Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Long Day Closes (1992), his meditative reveries about his own youth in England. A Quiet Passion doesn't measure up to these earlier films but it does contain many special moments (especially in the camerawork); however, casual viewers should be prepared for a "slow" film. See more

Han P Sep 7, 2018 Worst movie I saw in theatres all year. What a piece of trash. How it has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes I will never understand. It is so poorly framed. Whole scenes consist entirely of shot-reverse shot closeups with no establishing shot. It's impossible to tell how close characters are. They could be near enough to touch, or across a table. It's incredibly confusing. There's one scene in particular where I thought two characters were on opposite sides of a room and then one reaches out to the other and gets their hand slapped away. Very disorienting. Not to mention boring. Who had the bright idea to make a movie about Emily Dickinson that barely mentions her poetry? If film is life with all the boring bits cut out, then this is feels like a film where where they put all the scenes that they cut from the actual movie. What a slog. I hated Jennifer Ehle so much. Everyone in this movie has "witty" banter, but she plays it up like she's incredibly clever. But her dialogue doesn't sound any different than anyone else so she just comes across as weirdly smug. Like not that the character is smug, like the actor is smug. Like she thought she was the 19th century Lorelai Gilmore. Fuck off. I felt a genuine sense of relief when Dickinson dies at the end of the film, because that meant it was almost over. Not a good way to end a movie. Cynthia Nixon does an alright job though, all things considered. This movie is awful. See more

Finn S Apr 6, 2018 I admire the craftmanship but this film is a slow slog of talking heads that only the most patient of viewers will find entertainment value in. See more

Poe S Mar 7, 2018 A beautifully made, finely acted biographical movie about the great poet Emily Dickinson. Cynthia Nixon's portral of Dickinson is a masterclass. See more

Ron R Feb 28, 2018 Excruciatingly slow, particularly the last third. Cynthia Nixon is an excellent actor but this movie did not have any of the quick wit or playfulness that I would have expected from a Dickinson film. I felt like I was taking crazy pills when I saw the near-universal praise for this movie. Maybe if you are a film buff who loves 3-hour slow-paced melancholy dramas you will like it, but I found it utterly pretentious and unenjoyable. See more

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A Quiet Passion

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